BACKGROUND

New technology and science have given promise to discoveries in unconventional oil and gas reserves both onshore and in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. As a result, the once highly acclaimed GoM Shelf has become the predominant story as the region’s depleting wells are overshadowed by the more lucrative geophysical finds. Therefore, the challenge to institute and deploy techniques that can assist in the revitalization and enhancement of dying shelf production is of paramount importance.

CHALLENGE

A Texas coast operator witnessed pressure depletion on a particular satellite well, ultimately forcing the producer to shut-in. After further investigation, the well’s reserves showed substantial potential and displayed results of favorable remediation. A typical resolution would have called for conventional gas lift, however, final conclusions revealed nonexistent incoming flowlines for the delivery of additional gas.

SOLUTION

BlueFin identified a 4” flow line running from the existing satellite location to the gathering facility 6,500’ east of the problem well. A multiphased approach was presented to the operator that utilized an installation of composite piping within the existing carbon steel pipeline to create bidirectional flow.

Technical Achievements

The project was successfully completed on schedule, incident-free and with no mitigating negative environmental impact

The project involved assessing and engineering a two-phase approach: 1) Establish a clean flow line with sound integrity; 2) Deploy a 1.25” Thermoflex composite pipe into the 4” line to create a bidirectional flowline.

The project was completed under budget and saved the operator approximately $600K.